Sucker-rod clamp



M. MADsl-:N

r SUCKER Ron CLAMP l Filed Feb. 5, 1925 equipment, and it relates Patented vFeb. 15, 1927.-

MARTIN MADSEN, OF MONTEREY PARK, CALIVIOIRN'IA.

SUCKER-ROD CLAMP.

Application mea February e, 1925. seriaiuo. 6,512.

This, invention relates to voil Vpumping u particularly to a unique polish rod clamp. l n

In' the oil producing industry, oil is usually pumped from a well by means ofwa pump plunger' situated in a pump barrel atthe bottom of a Well. A string of sucker rods extends upwardlythrough a pump tubing to which the pump barrel'issecured, to the surface of the ground. AtV the upper end of a string of sucker rods, there is attached a polish rod which exten/ds through a stuflingfbox placed at the upper end of the pump tubing ofthe well. The polish rod is connected with a walking beam which reciprocates the, pump plunger by means of the string of sucker rods in a manner to elevate oil to the sur-face ofthe ground.

As a means for joining the polish rod with the walking beam, it is common to luse a polish rod clamp which is secured to the upper end of the polish rod. Reinsare .extended from the polish rod clamp and connectto the walking beam. I It is to polish rod clamps of Athis character that my `invention relates.

vIt is an object of my invention to provide a polish rod cla-mp of this character which will have a great gripping force. I accomplish this by providing the clamp in the form of a pair of coacting clamp members which are pivotally secured together, and which provide -a longitudinal channel through which the polish rod extends. Arranged in this channel is a gripping member which is adapted to be forced into vgripping engagement with the polish rod by the clamp members, and the grippers are so designed as to ygreatly magnify an initial clamping force aswi'll be thoroughly described hereinafter.

It is also an object of -my invention to provide apolish rod clamp of this character in which all the parts thereof are tied together. This eliminates the possibility of misplacing theparts and adds to the convenience of iny stallation and. removing of JChe'rpo'lish rod clamp, due'to'the fact that the various parts thereof are always in their proper positions. It is a Vfurther vobject of my invention to provide a polish rod clamp of the character .mentioned which is superior to other clamps inasmuch as it will vbe 'of small cost, rugged Yconstruction and will be easy to'manipulat'e. Other objects and the specific advantages of my invention will be 'made evident hereinafter.A Y

line 3 8 of Fig. 2.

`Fig. 4 is: an elevational viewtaken substanti'ally; as indicated by the arrowt'of Fig. 2. Y

NVit-h reference to Fig. l of the drawings,

1 show a polish rod 11 extending throughl a lstufling bok -12 of a pump tubing 13. A fpolish rod clamp l'which embodies the features of my invention is shown as secured at the upper end lof the polish rod 12. Extending `from the cla-mp 15 is a pair of reinsl'which extends up over a walking beam 18 which Vsaddles yon a Samson post 19." A reciprocat-ion of the walking beam 18 reciprocates the polish rod- 11 throughthe reins 16 and my` polishrodv clamp 15 in a'manner to recipro# cate the pump piunger, notshown, thus pumping oil upwardly through the pump tub-ing i3 and through a piping 20. The

polish rod clamp` 15 is clearly shownv in detail in Figs. 2 to' 4, inclusive.- A

Myinventi'on provid/esa body l26 compose Y of Ya pair of clamp 'members 27. These olainpmembers 27 are provided with formations 28 which are disposed as shown in Figs.

2 and 3, through which formations 428 there extends a hinge rod 29. f This hinee rod 29' hinges the cla-mp members 27 together. The adjacent faces 4of each of the'v hinge members 2? have 'longitudinally extending V-shaped depressi-ons 3'0. The V-shaped' depressions 30 cooperateltjo provide a. longitudinal chann nel 32 which opens ata lpoint opposite to the Vhinging of the members 27. rEhe polish rod 11 extends through the channel32 engaging with faces Se of the members :27, these lfaces being at the-bottom of the channel 32.

Agripper 36 is placed in the channel 32 hav-inga longitudinal groove 37 which pro'- vides engaging faces 38. YThe gripper 36 is 'provided' with' back wedge faces S39. vThese vwedge ffaces 39 are at 90- witlh respect kto each other, and each of these faces Y 39 is-:at

4550 with respect to the rdirection of mot-ion `ofthe gripper 36 as will be described. Conloo the drawings.

vex engagement formations 42 are provided by each of the clamp members 27, thesev convex engagementY formations 42 being formed in the depressions 30 and being arranged for engagement with the wedge faces 39 of the gripper 36.

An opening 44 is provided in a tail 45 which extends from the rear portion of the gripper 36. Extending through the opening 44 'is a tongue 46, this tongue 46 extending from one of the clamp members 27. A cotter key 47 or its equivalent is extended thr-ough a projecting end of the tongue 46, thus preventingthe removal of the gripper 36 from the tongue 46. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the vopening 44 is somewhat wider than the tongue`46; therefore, thegripper 36 is free to move transversely with respect to the body 26.V

Bolts 50 are pivotally securedto one of the clamp members 27 by means of a pin 51 which extends through lugs 52 of this clamp member 27 and through bosses 54 of the Vbolts 50. TheA other of the clamp members 27l is provided with a flange 56 having slots 57 therein, lthrough Ywhich the bolts 50 extend when they are in positions shown in A nut 58 is threaded on an extending end 59 of each of the bolts 50. Trunnions 61 extend from each of the clamp members 27 on which trunnions 61, as shown in Fig. 1, are pivoted bearing members 62 which form a part of the reins 16.

By advancing the nuts 58 on the bolts 50, the clamp members 27 are hingeably moved relative to each other, thus clamping the gripper 36. against the polish rod 11. When the clamp members 27 are clamped together,

the engagement formations 42 are moved in-V wardly'vagainst the wedge faces 39 of the gripper 36. This forces the gripper' member inwardly in a. transverse or radial direction against the polish rod 11, tightly `gripping this polish rodV 11 Vbetween the faces 39 of the gripper 36 and the faces 34 ofthe bottom of the channel 32.

' :The gripping force applied by my polish rodrclamp is exceedingly great. A consider- -able force may be applied to the clamp member 27 by the bolts 50 and the nuts 58 which. comprise a Ymechanical screw. The leverage applied tothe gripper member 86 by` the clamp members27 is substantially double the force applied by the bolts and nuts 50 and 58. As clearly shown in Fig.

l2, this embodiment shows substantially a two to oneV lever arm proposition. By employing a moving wedge arrangement of the character shown, the force applied to the polish rod 11by the gripper Vmember 36 is also substantially doubled in this modification of my invention.

The parts of the polish rod clamp 15 are all tied together so that it will be impossible to lose or misplace any of them. The Agripoutwardly, as indicated by an arrow 65 of.V

lFig. 2, from the slots 57 thus leaving the clamp members 27 free to swing outwardly and easy to remove from the polish rod 11. The parts of the clamp are few-and are very rugged in construction so that they are ca- Y pable of withstanding the great forces applied to the polish rod, due to the novel leverage arrangements of the construction.

l claim as my invention:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a pair of hinged clamp members providing a channel; a pair of faces, one of said faces being formed on each of said clamp members adjacent to their point of hinging; a gripper operated by the closing of said clamp members for forcing a member against said faces to clamp said member against movement; means for supporting said gripper in said channel; and means for forcing said clamp members together to operate said gripper and for retaining said members in closed position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a pair of hingedclamp members;'a pair of faces, one of said faces being formed -on each of said clamp members adjacent to their point of hinging; a gripper operated by the closing ofsaid clamp members for forcing a member against said faces to clamp said member against movement; means for attaching said gripper to one of said clamp members, but'allowing relative movement; and means for forcing said vclamp members together to operate said gripper and for retaining said members in closed position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a pair of cooperating cla-mp members providing a channel, said channel being arranged forthe extension of a rod therethrough; a.V gripper adapted to engage and force said rod into non-movable engagement with the bottom of vsaid channel, said gripper having wedge faces; means for supporting said gripper in` Vsaid channel; and convex engagement formations providedl on said clamp members adapted to engage and force said gripper into gripping engagement with said rod. I Y

4. In al device of the class described, the combination of: a pair of hingedclamp members'providing a channel, said channel being arranged for .the extension of a rod therethrough; a gripper engaged by both of said clamp members and operated by the closing thereof for retaining said rod securely in said channel; means for supportiii;

ing said gripper in said channel; and means for forcing said clamp members together to operate said gripper and for retaining said members in closed position.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a pair of hinged clamp members providing a channel, said channel being arranged for the extension of a rod therethrough; a gripper for retaining said rod securely in said channel, said gripper being forced into gripping engagement With said rod by said pair of clamp members; means for supporting said gripper in said channel; and means for forcing said clamp members together to operate said gripper and for retaining said members in closed Y position. 1

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a pair. of hinged clamp members providing a channel, said channel being arranged for the extension of a rod therethrough; a gripper adapted to engage and force said rod into non-movable engagement With the bottom of said channel, said rgripperhaving Wedge faces; means for supgripper having Wedge faces; engagement formations provided on said clamp members adapted to engage and force saidl gripper into gripping engagement with said rod; means for supporting said gripper in said channel, and means for Vmoving said clamp members in such a manner as t cause said formations to move said gripper. Y

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of: a pair of hinged clamp members providing a channel, said channel being arranged for the extension of'larodVA v'combination of: a pair of clamp members hinged together, said clamp members cooperating to provide a channel; an engage-A ment formation formed on each of said clamp members in said channel; a gripper disposed in said channel, said gripper having Wedge faces adapted to be engaged by said engagement formations; means for retaining said gripper Vmovably in said channel; and'means for hingeably moving said clamp members in order to cause said engagement formations to move said gripper in said channel.

l0. In a clamp of the class described, the combination of: a pair of clamp members hinged together, said clamp members cQ- Y operating to provide a channel; .an engagement formation formed on each of said clamp members in said channel; a gripper disposed in said channehsaid gripper having Wedge faces adapted to be engaged by said engagement formations; a tail formed on said gripper having an opening formed in said tail; a tongue extending from one of said clamp members throughsaid opening, thus tying said gripper to one of said clamp members, but permitting a relative movement therebetween; and means for hingeably moving said clamp Amembers in order to cause said engagement formations to move Ysaid gripper in said channel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 29th day of January, 1925.

MARTIN MADSEN. 

